‘More than one’ engine expert has said something exciting about Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton has signed an initial two-year deal with Ferrari ahead of his Mercedes exit. He’ll be 40 years old by the time he makes his debut for the Scuderia in Australia next March.

Hamilton will hope to immediately compete for the title at Maranello in 2025. Ferrari, who have won three races and scored 14 podiums this year, sit third in the world championship, 75 points behind leaders McLaren.

The gap is close enough to suggest Frederic Vasseur’s team could be in a position to compete next year. It’s expected to be one of the closest Formula 1 seasons ever as the frontrunners reach the ceiling of the ground-effect concept.

But Hamilton isn’t going all in on 2025. He’s also backed Ferrari ahead of the major regulation changes the following year.

Teams will produce smaller and lighter cars that feature active aerodynamics, but they won’t be able to work on their chassis until next year. Engine development, however, is already underway.

Hamilton will assess Ferrari’s performance in the first year of the new ruleset before making a decision on his future. There is an optional third year within the agreement.

Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 Ferrari engine expected to be on Mercedes’ level

F1 has been using hybrid power units for a decade now, but from 2026, the batteries will become much more significant. The aim is to triple their output.

Teams will also use sustainable fuels, though these won’t be uniform across the cars. Mercedes will work with Petronas, for instance, while Shell partner Ferrari.

According to Formu1a.uno, these two teams are best placed for the new era. ‘More than one’ engine expert has said that ‘at the architectural level’, they’re better prepared than their rivals.

Their advantage should be particularly clear in the first season before competitors can catch up. Red Bull are setting up their own powertrains division as they split with Honda, who will supply Aston Martin.

Ralf Schumacher explains why Michael Schumacher will always be ‘light years’ ahead of Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton has left Mercedes for two main reasons. The first is that, according to Vasseur, Hamilton has dreamed of Ferrari since 2004, and he wanted to realise that ambition before the end of his career.

But more importantly, he believes that the move will improve his chance of winning an eighth world championship. No driver has ever achieved this feat – Hamilton is currently tied with Michael Schumacher on seven.

Schumacher is ‘light years’ ahead of Hamilton, his brother Ralf says. This is apparently because he can build a team from the ground up.

The Englishman joins a Ferrari squad on the precipice of becoming a contender. If he can end their championship drought, which stretches back to 2008, he will only enhance his legacy.